How to Remove a Door

Remove a door quickly and easily, without chipping or denting the door or trim

Remove a door quickly and easily without pinching fingers or marring the door, the trim or the floor. Do it in four simple steps.

By the DIY experts of The Family Handyman Magazine:April 2007

The simple way to remove a door

1 of 4

Photo 1: Loosen the hinge pin

Close the door and tap the hinge pins
loose with a hammer and nail.

2 of 4

Photo 2: Tap the pin up

Tap the pin up until it's loose
enough to pull out.

3 of 4

Photo 3: Remove the door

Open the door partway and pull it to
the side so it drops off the hinges.

4 of 4

Photo 4: Remount the door

Replace the door on the hinges, using a pry bar if
necessary to get the hinge leaves to fit together.

Laying new carpet,
stripping or painting
a door, sanding
down a rubbing edge—there are any number of
reasons to take a door off
its hinges. And although it
looks simple enough, it
can turn into a finger-pinching
hassle, especially
when you're dealing with a
heavy, solid-wood door.

To make this job go
smoothly, first close and
latch the door. Then
remove the hinge pins by
tapping on the bottom of
the hinge pin with a nail
(Photo 1). Don't try to
drive the pins all the way
out with the nail—you
might damage the trim
with the hammer. After
they pop up an inch or so,
try pulling them free with
your fingers. If they're
stubborn, just drive up on
the underside of the
knuckle with a flat-blade
screwdriver (Photo 2).

Slide a piece of cardboard under the door to protect the floor, then
ease the door off the hinges by lifting slightly at the knob with one hand
and under one of the hinges with the other hand (Photo 3). If the
weight of the door makes it difficult to separate the hinges, wedge a pry
bar under the door to take the weight off the hinges.

To put the door back on the hinges, grab the door at the center and
tip it slightly toward the top, engaging the knuckles of the top hinge.
With the weight of the door hanging on the top hinge, work the other
hinges together. Push a hinge pin into whichever hinge lines up first,
then tap in the remaining pins. If one of the hinges seems slightly low
and the other hinges won't fit together, place a pry bar under the center
of the door and—with the lowest set of hinge leaves engaged—lever the
door up until the other hinge leaves fit together (Photo 4). Close the
door most of the way and hold it firmly for this step—the pry bar may
try to push the door in or out as well as up.

Tools & Materials List

Required Tools for this Project

Have the necessary tools for this DIY project lined up before you start—you’ll save time and frustration.

Hammer

Flat-blade screwdriver

Pry bar

Required Materials for this Project

Avoid last-minute shopping trips by having all your materials ready ahead of time. Here's a list.